LAS VEGAS — Austin Rivers hasn’t played in an NBA basketball game since March 4, after suffering a broken hand injury that ended his season.

You wouldn’t have known it in his first game with the Pelicans at the Las Vegas Summer League opener on Friday, as Rivers finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in helping his team to a win over the Summer version of the New York Knicks.

It was far from a great rookie campaign for Rivers, who was the 10th overall pick in last summer’s draft. But he was finally starting to put together some solid performances, just as the injury set him back. He picked up where he left off in this one, showing an ability to run the offense, find his teammates, and score from both inside and out.

Rivers was just excited to finally get back onto the court in a game situation.

“It feels good just to play a game,” he said. “I haven’t played in so long since I got hurt. It was kind of a blessing in disguise. I got to work on my left, got to watch a lot of film, and see my weaknesses and how I need to change speeds instead of going 100 miles per hour. And it kind of showed today.”

As good as Rivers looked in his first outing back, and even if he continues to play this well, he’ll be hard-pressed to see many minutes in what’s become a crowded backcourt in New Orleans. The team made a draft night trade to acquire All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday from the Sixers, and went out and signed Tyreke Evans to a four-year deal in free agency. And, Eric Gordon is still on the roster.

But none of that seems to bother Rivers, at least on the surface.

“It doesn’t intimidate me at all,” Rivers said of the new roster additions. “At the end of the day I’ve just got to go out there and work. If I’m there and there are a lot of guards there, then that means I’ve got to work even harder. I love the city of New Orleans, and I know we’re just trying to get better. There are still things that can happen with our team, so who knows? My whole focus is to keep working and show up to training camp ready to go.”

Rivers will continue to focus on developing his game and attempting to create a problem for his coaches when they’re looking to divide the minutes up this season; his Summer League performance was an indication that he could earn playing time at either of the guard positions.

“You saw today that I can do both,” Rivers said, when asked if he’s more comfortable playing the point or the two-guard position. “I really can do both. I’m a scorer but I can play the point and get people open. With Jrue there, he’s going to be the dominant point, so [this season] it’ll be a lot of [shooting guard]. But I can get extra minutes playing backup point for him, and that’s what my goal is right now.”

“I’m not really worried about who’s there,” Rivers said. “I’ve just got to show up to training camp ready to go — I expect to work and I expect to play.”

CHICAGO (AP) —Dwyane Wade scored 20 points, and the Chicago Bulls handed San Antonio its first road loss after a 13-0 start, hanging on to beat the Spurs 95-91 on Thursday night.

San Antonio fell one win shy of matching the NBA’s best road start set by the Golden State Warriors last season. The Spurs cut an 18-point deficit midway through the third quarter to four in the closing minutes, only to come up short.

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 for San Antonio. Patty Mills added 16 points, hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers. Former Bull Pau Gasol had 13 points and 10 rebounds in his first game in Chicago since signing with San Antonio in the summer, but the Spurs lost a road game for the first time since Oklahoma City knocked them out in the Western Conference semifinals last season.

Jimmy Butler scored all of his 13 points for Chicago in the second half. Rajon Rondo added 12 points, nine assists and 10 rebounds, and Chicago picked up the win after dropping three in a row and six of nine.

The Spurs hadn’t dropped a regular-season road game since Denver beat them on April 8. But after a big push down the stretch, they came up short in this one.

The Bulls led 65-47 midway through the third following a surge by Butler, who scored seven in a 54-second span after missing his first six shots. But the Spurs jumped back into it in the closing minutes of the quarter.

They went on an 11-2 run that Mills finished with a 3 to cut it to 72-66 just under a minute into the fourth.

Things got real tight when Gasol nailed a 3 to pull San Antonio to within 88-84 with 3:24 left. Doug McDermott then hit three free throws after being fouled by Tony Parker, and the teams basically exchanged baskets the rest of the way.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Parker had eight points and five assists after missing a game because of a bruised left knee. … For the second straight game, the Spurs set a season low for first-quarter scoring. They had 17 points after managing 19 at Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Bulls: F Doug McDermott scored eight points after being sidelined because of a concussion since Nov. 11. … Butler had scored 20 or more in 15 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan did it in 24 straight during the 1995-96 season.

CHICAGO (AP) San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker returned to the lineup Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls after missing a game because of a bruised left knee.

The seven-time All-Star did not play at Minnesota on Tuesday night after knocking knees with a Milwaukee Bucks defender the previous night. He started against the Bucks after missing two games with a thigh contusion.

Parker came into Thursday averaging 9.4 points and 4.4 assists.

Chicago’s Doug McDermott returned to the rotation after missing nearly a month because of a concussion.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Marc Gasol scored 36 points and Toney Douglas made two free throws with less than a second left to give the Memphis Grizzlies an 88-86 comeback victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

Gasol was 13 of 24 from the field, including 4 of 6 from outside the arc. But Douglas, signed by Memphis this week because of injuries, took over down the stretch. The guard scored on a 19-footer with 34 seconds left, then converted two pairs of free throws in the last 20 seconds.

Shooting issues that plagued both teams in the first half, spread past intermission as each started 4 of 14 from the field. That helped Portland maintain its lead after carrying a 50-43 advantage into halftime.

Despite converting only 5 of 20 shots in the third, Portland actually extended its lead, entering the fourth with a 69-61 advantage.

The Portland lead would reach 13 again in the fourth and was still at 11 when Memphis started its rally behind Gasol, who had nine straight points for the Grizzlies.

Portland had a previous 13-point lead in the second quarter as every Grizzly but Gasol was suffering shooting woes.

Gasol managed 19 points in the half, while Portland got 15 points each from McCollum and Lillard.

TIP-INS

Blazers: F Evan Turner started his first game of the season due to an injury to Maurice Harkless. …McCollum entered the game averaging 24 points. … G Allen Crabbe finished with seven points after scoring at least 14 in four straight games. …C Mason Plumlee had four points, ending his streak of seven straight games in double figures.

Grizzlies: Memphis coach David Fizdale finally said enough about calls and no-calls late in the first half to earn a technical courtesy of official J. T. Orr. Lillard missed the free throw to open the third. …Gasol also got a tech in the third quarter for arguing a call. … F JaMychal Green had a career-high 18 rebounds. His previous best was 17 this week in a win at New Orleans.

EXTENSIONS

Earlier Thursday, the Grizzlies announced that they have agreed to multi-year extensions with general manager Chris Wallace, John Hollinger, executive vice president of basketball operations, and Ed Stefanski, vice president of player personnel. Terms were not disclosed.

HARKLESS HURT

Portland forward Maurice Harkless did not play because of a left ankle sprain suffered in the latter stages of the Portland’s 115-107 loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday night. “I remember him wincing. He was on the free throw line,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “It was late in the game, like the last 2 minutes.”

NOTHING FREE

Both teams struggled from the free throw line. Portland made 29 of 40 in the game while Memphis was 20 of 30.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Portland hits the middle game of a five-game trip, landing in Indiana on Saturday to face the Pacers.

Grizzlies: Memphis continues its homestand Saturday against the Gold State Warriors.